Steam cooking utensil



.Feb. 9 1926. 1,572,144

C. E. JOHNSON STEAM COOKING UTENSIL Filed Feb. 2, 1925 INVENTOR www 75ml/p. ATTORNEY PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. JOHNSON, or DENVER, COLORADO.

STEAM COOKING UTENSIL.

Appncaaon filed February a, 1925. serial No. 6,307.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. JOHNSON,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Steam Cooking Utensil, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to improvements in steam cooking utensils.

The object of the invention is to prolvide a utensil of this character, in which the article to be cooked is subjected toY a combined boiling and steamingaction, by which it is thoroughly cooked in a much shorter time than is required with the use of the ordinary cooking vessel, the said utensil having a bottomless inner member provided with an annular water chamber in its upper end and a cover having a portion which enters` said chamber and normally rests upon the bottom thereof, the water of condensation being catlght in said chamber and forced by steam pressure to overiiow into the main body kof the utensil, said cover being automatically lifted.. under high pressure, thereby permitting the escape of the steam to atmosphere, and thus eliminating any possibility of explosion.

Further, to provide a steam cooker of this 30 character which is so constructed that it f can be much more cheaply manufactured than the present style of steam cookers, and which eliminates the use of valves and gauges, the arrangement being such that the cover for said cooker acts to confine the water of condensation, which is returned to the body of the vessel, said cover also acting to automatically permit the escape of steam under high pressure.

These objects are accomplished bythe device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

VFigure 1, is a vertical sectional view through the improved cooker. y

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the cover being removed; and A Fig. 8 `is a side view of a portion of the cover for said cooker.

Referring to the accompanying drawings.:

The numeral 1 indicates the mainV vessel, which may be of any desired size and which is provided with a common type of bail 2, though any other style ofhandle may be used in connection therewith. the vessel has an opening of less diameter than the vessel, which is formedl by securing A Ul The top of a flat metal ring-like cap 8 on the rim of the vessel, as shown, the opening in the ring forming the entrance to the vessel. The vessel may be cylindrical in form, though it is preferably tapered slightly towards its bottom end.

y lVithin the vessel 1 is placed 4a cylindrical i inner member 4, which is open both at bot-` tom and top. This inner member l fits slidably in the opening in the ring 3 and rests upon the bottom of the vessel'l, openings 5 Y being formed in the lower edge portion to form communication between the outer vessel 1 and the interior of the said inner member. The upper end of the inner member extends a short distance above the ring 3, and this extended portion is provided withhandles 6, by means of which the inner member may be lifted out ofthe vessel 1, or placed therein. The upper portion of the inner member is provided with an annular water chamber 7, which is formed by aV flat metal ring-like member' 8, the lower edgeof which terminates in a horizontal flange 9, which is soldered at its circumferentialedge to the wall of theinner member, the saidflange forming theV bottom of the -water chamber, while the band 8 forms the inner wall of the said chamber, as will beunder-V stoodby reference to Figure 1 of the drawilngs. The inner member is provided with an annular row of holes 10, which are posi-v tioned to lie just below the ring 3and these holes form communication between the an. nular chamber 7 andthe :main vesselv 1. The band 8 forms the entrance to the inner member 4, andthis entrance is closed by aV Special form of cover, whichcomprises a domefshaped top or cap 11, ha-ving a depending` annular ring-like member 12, which terminates in a horizontal flange 13. The ring-like body 12 is `of aV diameter to lie midway between the inner* and outer walls of the annular chamber 7 and the ange 13 is adapted to rest upon the bottom 9 of the said annular chamber, thus support-l more particularly/ ,Incntioned hereinafter. The ring-'like portion? of the' cover is pro# vided with a row of holes 16 adjacent the `flange 13, for a purpose to be presently eX- plained. The cover is' provided' withv a handle17. Y

In practice, the cooker is arranged as shown in Figure 1, and the cover being removed, a suitable amount of water is suppliedthrough the op'e'ningin` thef inner member 4, and theopenings inthe lower endT ofthe inner member permit the water to :enten-the outer vessel, in; which it rises yto the same levelfasinthe inner member. The annular chamber I is then iilled withvva'ter to the level of the holes 10,-'and the article'or articles to be cooked are'jpl'aced in they inner member, afterK which the "cover is plaeed in the annular chamber' so' ast'orest on'the botI tomtof 'said chamber, the flange' 13 of said covers'ervingto cent'er'the cover with respeet to.l the chamber 7 Als the' water in the vessel becomesheated, the vapor condenjses on the under side ofthey cover and trickles' down intothespac'e 14; and' when'the water boils,

JChe 'steam pressurel acting on the: water in thev 'sip-'ae- 14,2 forces" it down-y t'oth'e' level of the holes`16, as indicated? by the dottedv line 18, and thev waterA in the: Space 14A over# owsthrouglr thefholes l0, intol theouter' vessel. Underlow pressure, the weight of the cover prevents it' from' rising,v but as soon,asthe pressure against they under side of the cover" is sucentt0y overconi'eits',

weight the' eo'ver rises',` and1 at the Sametime' thelevel of the water in thes'p'aee 121Ay falls until Ait'rea'ehesthe level ofl therow of holes '16 in ythe cover; when thei steam escapes thrcmghwtliey holes; 16 to the atmosphere throughthe spaee lflgandv the water" inthe`- spaces 14 #and 1'4A`i's again@ on theI samelevel; Thti's the cover lifted as often as:

` the pressure in the" cooker is sufcientxto overcome the weight vof the doven thereby', permittingthees'a'pe of styeain through the holes 16-l A' sli "ht space isl leftgbetweeir the circumferenticl edg'e'of the flange' 13" and Wallofthe inner member .Bwvhichy per- It will thusbe seentliat thev vapor from the heated waterv does 'notk escape to' the atmosphere,I but condenses; on; the under side of the cover, and then: trickles down into the spacej14,fand `notuntil the pressurein.

'- the'eooker is 'high enough' to zlift the lid',

does the steam escape to fthe atmosphere. Thus thezfood in the cooker issubject-ed toa combined boiling and :steaming treatment by which Vit is not only cooked in a' relatively short time, ,but it is thereby made tender and none of its natural flavor is lost, and as the vapor does not escape,` but conof said-inner member andspacedfrom the same, which terminates at its lower edge' in a1 flange which issecu'red to the wall of the inner member above the' rmiddleA portion thereof', thereby forming ali-annular Chainber in the upper port-ion ofthe inner mem# ber, and a cover having a depending cylindrical portion of greater diameter thant'said annular Wall,- which rest's'upon the bottom of said annular-chamber, a space being left betweenV the upper end of said annular wall` andsaid cover.

2. In afcookinlg utensil of the' character described, anouter vessel, an inner bottom# less member separated from-the'outer vessel' by eti-surrounding! space' andresting; on' the bottom of said zessen-the surrounding Aspatie being closed atitsu'p'perl end, acirenlar wallv in the upper portion ofL thefbottomless*mem|` ber,-having a horizohtalilangeon its lower i end, which is securedlto'thewa'll of the bot` tomless member-,thereby forming-an* annularchamber betweenr the" circular n'r'all and: the" wall of the bottomless' member, a Covered member which surroi'lnd'sthe Circular' wal'l :indrest's `upon the bottom'of thev annular ehamber, aspace being left between the Covered member and the Circular wall, be'- tween` the' covered member and the wall` of the bottomless member bet'w'eeiir*thel tipper ed'ge of the-circular wall and the'top'of* said .covered member, said batteria-less mehr' ber havingopening'slin' its lbw'er e'ndI andnear its upper end, and saidcovered member having openingsnear its bottom end.

3. In'a cooking'utensil ofthe' charaoter described, an outerpvessel, an inner cylir-y `drical bottomless removable" member of vgreater depth than the vessel,: which rests) on" the' bottom of the vessel and isspacedfrm the wall of the same, al ring-:likecoveron thefpper end of the outer v'esselyin which the bottomless member fits,v the lower endportion. yof vthe bottomless member 'having openings ywhich form communieationv between the surrounding space andthe interior of the said bottomless membersal-hanged wall in the upper end portion of the bottoml-y less member and` spaced therefrom'to form" an annular' chamber,` said iange being soll dered to the' wall of the inner member to form the bottom of said chamber, a cover having a circular depending portion of greater diameter than said circular wall, which terminates at its lower end in a flange which is adapted to rest on the bottom of the annular chamber, a space being left between the said depending portion and the circular wall, between the depending portion and the wall of the bottomless member, and between the top of the cover and the circular wall, openings being formed in the lower portion of the depending portion o'li the cover and in the upper portion of the wall of the bottomless member, the latter openings forming communication between the said .annular chamber and the space surrounding the bottomless member.

4. In a. Cooking utensil of the character described, a main vessel having a contracted opening at its upper end, a removable bottomless member which fits in said opening and rests upon the bottom of the main vessel, said removable member extending above the top o'l the main vessel, an annular chamber in the upper portion of the removable member, a cover having a depending bandlike portion which enters the said annular chamber and ,rests upon the bottom thereof, said band-like member terminating in a 'hori- Zontal flange and being spaced from the walls of the annular chamber, openings being formed in said band-like member adjacent the flange thereof, and in said removable member adjacent the top of the main vessel, and within the same, and in the lower edge portion of said removable member.

5. In a cooking utensil of the character described, a main vessel having a contracted entrance opening, a removable bottomless cylindrical member which lits in said opening and rests upon the bottom oi the vessel, said removable member having an annular chamber in its upper end, a cover having a depending cylindrical portion which enters the annular chamber and rests upon the bottom thereof, openings being formed in the upper and lower end portions of said removable member.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

CHARLES E. JOHNSON. 

